Medal of Honor
October 31 - November 1, 1919
near Grande Riviere, Republic of Haiti
- Rank at action
- Corporal
- Service
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Conflict
- Haitian Campaign 1919 - 1920
- Unit or command
- Gendarmerie d'Haiti
- Presentation date
- June 10, 1920
The Citation
Sources ↓For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in actual conflict with the enemy near Grande Riviere, Republic of Haiti, on the night of 31 October-1 November 1919, resulting in the death of Charlemagne Peralte, the supreme bandit chief in the Republic of Haiti, and the killing, capture and dispersal of about 1,200 of his outlaw followers. Cpl. William R. Button not only distinguished himself by his excellent judgment and leadership but also unhesitatingly exposed himself to great personal danger when the slightest error would have forfeited not only his life but the lives of the detachments of Gendarmerie under his command. The successful termination of his mission will undoubtedly prove of untold value to the Republic of Haiti.
Sources & record notes
General Order comparison: pending. Current-profile review does not mean that the underlying original order has been examined.
- William Robert Button — Congressional Medal of Honor Society recipient profile ↗Congressional Medal of Honor Society · Checked 2026-09-01
current identity, service, action metadata, and citation comparison
Transcription, metadata & provenance notes
- Award ID
- MOH-AW-003209
- Transcription status
- Legacy full text · current reference profile matched
- Last source check
- 2026-09-01
- Recorded order reference (not verified against the original)
- 536
- Entered service at
- St. Louis, Mo.
- Archive transcription SHA-256
- 8aa262776853a433492a896a0ce2e508534cafba9439d6dd5fd5fa7e7bc188f3
Legacy transcription retained without substantive editing; rendered current reference profile comparison is documented in the Phase 10 evidence snapshot.
The current official profile expands the middle name, supplies the Gendarmerie command, and documents an overnight action period; the full range is retained.